By Sewe Ishola,

As the world marks the International Day of the Girl Child today, October, 11th, Grace Life Events unveiled its upcoming workshop on how to curb sexual abuse, especially those perpetuated against children in the society.

According to the CEO of Grace Life events, a Christian based event management company,  Debbie Enenmoh, the outfit has often sought to beam the spotlight on areas of the society, people don’t take cognizance to. She shared how in time past, they had had a workshop on similar issues.

Speaking on the upcoming workshop, which is titled Real Issues: Sexual Abuse Workshop, Enenmoh revealed it would not just be the usual routine, as they will be laser sharp focus on the unexplored aspects of the menace of sexual abuse in the country, as well ways to re-orientate victims of sexual abuse.

The Media director  of Grace life Events, Justina Oha for her part reinterated the need for everyone to be armed with as much information as possible to be able to spot signs of child abuse in their own children and even other children, as all adults owe children, the responsibility to protect them;  “sexual abuse is close to us in our society.  It is right at our door steps, and if it hasn’t happened to anyone here or their family, no one knows what the future holds. We need to be armed with information on sexual abuse, we need to be armed with information about what to look out for in children, whom we suspect are being abused.”

Speaking from an expert’s perspective was Oluwatosin Akinloye, a child psychologist and psychotherapist from the Ce Ce Yara Foundation, who are partnering with Grace Life Events in executing this workshop. She revealed that sexual abuse is a silent epidemic in our society, as people don’t want to talk about it due to stigmatization.

Even as she urged adults to stop shying away from speaking up about sexual abuse in their children, she pointed out that children of nowadays are being sexualised almost on a daily basis courtesy of the environment, they are exposed.

“Sexual abuse  goes beyond sexual activities, exposure to sexualised content is also sexual abuse. When children see these things, they want to practice. A child, who engages in sexual activities with another is a victim and should be treated as such, because someone exposed him/her to that practice.”

For the upcoming workshop, it is not only going to be jaw-jaw as there are plans to get help for those who need it and an arrangement with the International Women’s Society, Nigeria for skill acquisition programs to engage the minds of  participants of the workshop.